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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Lupus / June 2004OT: gnats in a plant? What do I do?
Hi there folks, I have a Calathea that was given to us when Mom D. died last summer. I recently repotted it and it is doing very well but... as I was watering it today I noticed a small cloud of gnats hanging out among the stubs from dead leaves. Is there something I can use on this to get rid of these without damaging the plant? It's indoors. And why would they like it? I found one hanging out in a Pathos as well but only one.  SignatureI am not a Lupus/Fountain Pen Expert. I am not a Medical Doctor. I do not make my living in medicine or in fountain pen repair. All opinions herein are based solely on my experience and observations. Take them with a grain of salt (unless you have high blood pressure...<g>) >Hi there folks, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >damaging the plant? It's indoors. And why would they like it? I found one >hanging out in a Pathos as well but only one. Remove the dead leaves, and the top centimeter of soil (in case bugs are lurking there). Then spray it with a weak solution of washing-up liquid in room-temperature water. SignatureAndy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group] See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more! > Remove the dead leaves, and the top centimeter of soil (in case bugs are > lurking there). Then spray it with a weak solution of washing-up liquid > in room-temperature water. well - the dead leaves are removed - it's the little stubs they leave behind. This plant grows in a manner similar to grasses - individual stalks for each leaf. The fact that all of my indoor plants were repotted at once with the same potting mix - is it possible something (larvae?) was lurking in the bagged mix (not "soil" - but Moisture Control Potting mix - waste of $$) [ >The fact that all of my indoor plants were repotted at once with the same >potting mix - is it possible something (larvae?) was lurking in the bagged >mix (not "soil" - but Moisture Control Potting mix - waste of $$) Very possible. Some wit in UK recently contaminated a huge batch of potting compost with giant sunflower seeds! SignatureAndy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group] See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more! I would dilute your dishsoap with water at *1/8 to 1 ratio approx.* and spray the leaves lightly... should keep what ever is there away without killing anything ... works for most plants and lilies for indoors and out, for me. Good luck! ....fwiw from Shelagh > Hi there folks, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > damaging the plant? It's indoors. And why would they like it? I found one > hanging out in a Pathos as well but only one. > I would dilute your dishsoap with water at *1/8 to 1 ratio > approx.* and spray the leaves lightly... should keep what ever is [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Good luck! > ....fwiw from Shelagh Thanks Shelagh - I'll try this. I hate gnats. Not as much as fire ants and palmetto roaches, but not far from it. They imply a dirty home to me (rotting food.) bleah. I had these once. Course, I've only had one plant too. Repotting it helped the gnat problem, so you could have had infested potting soil. However, they could have been from the previous soil. Here's some tips: How to Get Rid of Indoor Gnats http://www.ehow.com/ehow/ehowDetails.jsp?id=3885 Maggie: sticking to petunia's. [ >I hate gnats. Not as much as fire ants and >palmetto roaches, but not far from it. They imply a dirty home to me >(rotting food.) bleah. Must be Texan gnats (in which case have you tried a shotgun?). Ours only imply rain followed by sunshine. SignatureAndy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group] See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more! KCat Don't keep the plant wet.... let the top dry out before watering again. Also, try to increase air circulation. Nicole > Hi there folks, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > damaging the plant? It's indoors. And why would they like it? I found one > hanging out in a Pathos as well but only one. > KCat > Don't keep the plant wet.... let the top dry out before watering again. > Also, try to increase air circulation. > > Nicole okay - I'm thinking when I'm sure the plant is healthy I'll repot. This was repotted about 3 weeks ago using the new "Moisture Control" potting mix which supposedly has no soil in it. the other plants (that seem to have no gnats *yet*) were repotted with some of this but mostly regular potting soil. Go figure. dang! heh - can't do much about the air circulation - it's Houston in the summer and nothin's movin except the gnats and mosquitos. Gnats like anything rotting and wet. Yes, they will lay their eggs in there. Probably did not come in on the soil. Probably some eggs came in with some bananas or other fruit and, well, they found a happy home around your plants. Fill a squirt bottle with water and add some soap. Safer soap is good but any real soup will do, got any Ivory flakes? Dishwashing liquid is a detergent and not considered "organic" and not considered as intended use. It's a technicality, so I can't tell you to use it. Add a little soup to the water and spray the plant really well. Put the thing in the shower and drench it with your soap mixture - just make sure the plant has drainage. Or if you don't have the proper "soap" you can try just putting it in the shower and turn the shower on it. Usually you can wash way the problem. Use tepid water - not icy cold or hot. Then put it someplace to dry. If your problem is not gone - there's lots more you can do before resorting to chemicals. Just let me know and I'll help you. Bev > Hi there folks, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > damaging the plant? It's indoors. And why would they like it? I found one > hanging out in a Pathos as well but only one. > Gnats like anything rotting and wet. I guess I can trim the old stems down to the soil but I can't completely remove them. >Yes, they will lay their eggs in there. > Probably did not come in on the soil. Probably some eggs came in with some > bananas or other fruit and, well, they found a happy home around your > plants. no fruit here. We don't eat it. :( But that doesn't mean they didn't come in from the outside. My neighbour has them too. So - it's a banner year for gnats apparently (see below.) > water and spray the plant really well. Put the thing in the shower and > drench it with your soap mixture - just make sure the plant has drainage. hmm.. real soap... i have used dishwashing liquid on outdoor plants and my neighbour said she sprayed her plants with Raid (ant & roach spray) but I'm leery of that obviously. > Or if you don't have the proper "soap" you can try just putting it in the > shower and turn the shower on it. Usually you can wash way the problem. Use > tepid water - not icy cold or hot. Then put it someplace to dry. how dry? I mean - nothing is drying out right now as our humidity is in the 80-90% range. it's a freakin' sauna down here already. "heat index" was 103 today. ugh. > If your problem is not gone - there's lots more you can do before resorting > to chemicals. Just let me know and I'll help you. Thanks much and I'll let you know. We also have ants sneaking into the kitchen and they are driving me nuts. Fire ants. They like to build in walls just like termites do though of course they don't do the structural damage. I feel like the bugs are winning this year. Which brings to mind part of the cause I'm sure. While it may have been the coldest winter on record in parts of the country. it was a very mild winter here with no hard freezes at all. so we've got bugs all over the place - about 1/2 dozen caterpillars crawl through my front door every 24 hours. I can't get rid of them. They crawl in, hit a pesticide barrier and die down the hall a bit. ugh. it's just nasty and I am not a slob. My house has mold (this is the Gulf Coast after all) but it is clean. I don't have the URL on the top of my head but if you go to Texas A&M's site they have the most comprehensive organic gardening site I've seen. (or at least they did two years ago) It might be listed under their Extension pages. I won't go into details but Raid and other such stuff for me is a last resort!!! I'm not totally against using chemicals - I don't want them on my food. They have a place in this world and should be used with great caution. But for so many of us I think most of these chemicals should be avoided. Bev > > Gnats like anything rotting and wet. > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > it's just nasty and I am not a slob. My house has mold (this is the Gulf > Coast after all) but it is clean. Oh, I just meant to dry out so the leaves aren't dripping and the soil isn't draining all over the place. Just avoid watering until the soil feels dry again. Stick your finger in it a little bit to see if it is still damp or wet under the top layer if it is don't water it yet. Bev > > Gnats like anything rotting and wet. > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > it's just nasty and I am not a slob. My house has mold (this is the Gulf > Coast after all) but it is clean. > Oh, I just meant to dry out so the leaves aren't dripping and the soil isn't > draining all over the place. Just avoid watering until the soil feels dry > again. Stick your finger in it a little bit to see if it is still damp or > wet under the top layer if it is don't water it yet. > Bev yeah - i was just sorta ribbin' ya there, Bev. :-) But thank you for clarifying nonetheless. What I've got to do is keep hubby away from the Calathea. It droops more obviously when drying out but it also droops on grey mornings and folds up on very bright sunny mornings (which is really cool with gorgeous purple velvet leaf undersides) so he has taken it upon himself to water it thinking I've neglected it. :-) [ >yeah - i was just sorta ribbin' ya there, Bev. :-) But thank you for >clarifying nonetheless. What I've got to do is keep hubby away from the >Calathea. It droops more obviously when drying out (re-reads several times) Oh, she's talking about a *plant*. > but it also droops on >grey mornings and folds up on very bright sunny mornings (which is really >cool with gorgeous purple velvet leaf undersides) so he has taken it upon >himself to water it thinking I've neglected it. :-) I'll shut up now :) SignatureAndy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group] See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more! > [ > >yeah - i was just sorta ribbin' ya there, Bev. :-) But thank you for > >clarifying nonetheless. What I've got to do is keep hubby away from the > >Calathea. It droops more obviously when drying out > > (re-reads several times) Oh, she's talking about a *plant*. Warning to all women with male partners: never use the term "limp" or "droop" or "tiny" in the same sentence with "hubby/partner/boyfriend." > I'll shut up now :) a good idea. But so will I. "Beverley" wrote in message Dishwashing liquid is a > detergent and not considered "organic" and not considered as intended use. > It's a technicality, so I can't tell you to use it. We are on septic here on the island, and so use 'organic or earth friendly' dish (and all types of) soap... I assumed KC would understand that when I said it won't 'kill anything'..... fwiw, from Shelagh |
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